Speed-indicator.



v n 1` ATBNTEDMAY24,1904.

F.' B.- WOLF. y SPEED INDICATOR. .QPLIGATION 11mm snm'. 11. '19o3.v

UNITED STATES i Patented May 24, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ EMIL woLE, oE BERLIN, GERMANY, AssIeNoR To DEUTSCHE INDUSTRIE-WERKE AKT-GES., E BERLIN, GERMANY.

SPEED-INDICATOR.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,833, dated May 24, 1904.

' 'Application filed September 11, 1903. Serial No. 172,718. (llo model.)

To all whom, it may concern: f

Be it known that I, FRANZ EMIL WOLF, a citizen of the Empire of Germany, residing at Berlin, in the Empire of Germany, have invented a new and useful Speed-Indicator, of which the following isa specification.

There are already known speed-indicators of a certain description in-which a star-like wheel is mounted to turn within a closed cylinder, which latter communicates on the one part with a liquid-supply pipe and on the other'part with an ascending tube, so that on setting the star-like wheel into rotation a centrifugal force will be produced in the liquid within the cylinder which is to cause the liquid to rise in the ascending tube. These L vknown speed-indicators present however several disadvantages. The faces of the several blades of the star-like wheel pass each along the port of the ascending tube once on every` revolution, so that this port' istemporarily -partly orwholly closed and the liquid in Vthe ascending tube is withdrawn from the infinence of the centrifugal force. In consequence of this the level of the liquid in the ascending tube will be `liable to constant variations, so that it is impossible to read off the exact speed. The faces and the lateral edges of the star-like wheel are necessarily so arranged as to be close to the internal walls of the cylinder in order to produce the effect aimed at. The constant contact between the said faces and edges of the wheel and the internal walls will produce a considerable friction, so that the tightness will be destroyed in a very short time by the respective surfaces wearing off.

Then the speed-indicator will fail to work properly and its exactitude will be lost.

My invention relates to improvements in speed-indicators of this kind, wherebythe said defects are avoided; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to provide a round chamber of any cross-section which is connected with a liquid-reservoir, and thereby constantly filled with liquid; second, to provide within this chamber around'disk of any cross-section and having two or several closed channels reaching from its hollow axle to its periphery, so that on putting thisdisk into A rotation acentrifugal force will be produced in the liquidilling its channels, and thereby f a pressure exerted upon the liquid in the chamber and in the ascending tubei for causingit to vrise in the latter, and, third, to leave an annular space between the disk and the chamber, so that the port leading to the ascending tube is never partly or wholly closed, and all the friction between the disk and the internal walls of the, chamber is avoided. I attain these objects by the speed-indicator illustrated in a mode of execution in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 14 is partly a vvertical longitudinal sectional view and partly an elevation of the speed.- indicator, the ascending tube being partly broken away; and Fig. 2 is aplan Viewv of the same. v

Similar characters of reference refer to similarparts in the two views.

1 denotes a casing or cylinder within which a cylindrical chamber 2 is formed. The casing 1 is provided with a suitable foot-plate 1UL and can be secured on any convenient supporting-plate by means of bolts passing through the holes 1" 1b. On the right end the casing 1 may be assumed to be open and provided with a vertical cross-piece 16, in which a hori- Z0ntal `driving-shaft 4 is mounted to turn.

14 a flat round disk 3 is fastened on the shaft until the central plane of the disk 3 and herebored across, so that the longitudinal perforation 6 communicates with the two radial perforations 8. I

On the top the casing 1 is formed to a liquidreservoir 10, which is put into communication with the chamber 2 by means of a channel 9 in the casing 1 and in the cover 13; also, by means of an annular space around the smaller end of the bearing 14 and by suitable perforations in the latter; further, by the perforations 6 and 8 in shaft 4 and disk 3. In the central part of the liquid-reservoir 10 an ascending tube 12 of a convenient height is secured, which is put into communication with the chamber 2 by means of a channel 11. It will now be evident that on filling the reservoir 10 with any liquid-for instance, quicksilvernot only the chamber 2 will be filled with this-liquid, but also the level of the liquid in the ascending tube l2 will be the same as in the reservoir as long as the apparatus is at rest. The speed is determined by the height of the liquid in the tube, and this height may be determined by marks on the tube or by placing a scale alongside the tube in a wellknown manner.

A belt or cord is placed around either of the two lace-pulleys 7 and a suitable pulley on the respective shaft, the speed of which is to be ascertained. When this shaft is rotated, it will also drive the shaft 4 with the disk 3, when the centrifugal force of theliquid in the perforations 8 of the disk 3 will exert a certain pressure on the liquid within the chamber 2 and cause it to iow through the channel 11 into the ascending tube l2 and rise in the latter, while a part of the liquid in the reservoir 10 will be drawn in and passed through the disk 3. When the level of the liquid in the ascending tube 12 ceases to rise, its height above the level in the reservoir 10 being in a certain well-known proportion to the speed may be indicated in any one of many ways-- as, for instance, by the use of a scale. (Not, however, herein shown.)

For Varying the sensitiveness of the speedindicator an adjusting-screw 17 is preferably provided, by means of which the area of the channel l1 can be regulated.

From the above description it will be evident that in this speed-indicator the orifice in the chamber 2 leading to the channel l1 can never be closed by the disk 3 or otherwise and, further, that there canbe no friction between the disk 3 and the internal walls of the casing 1. For these reasons this gage will ever work properly, and its exactitude cannot be impaired, but will remainunaltered.

The speed-indicator described so far can be varied in many respects without deviating from the spirit of my invention. The driving-pulleys 7 can be replaced by other driving means. The bearing 5 may be replaced by a stuiiing-box. The disk 3 may have more than two opposed radial perforations, and these perforations may also be curved, or they may be replaced by channels of any shape. The disk 3 itself may have any other crosssection, the only essential point being that it be round and have no ladles open on the sides. The adjusting-screw 17 can be placed horizontally or otherwise.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

l. In a speed indicator, the combination with a liquid-reservoir, of a chamber, a disk mounted to revolve freely within said chamber and provided with a plurality of channels reaching to the periphery, a channel for conducting the liquid from said liquid-reservoir te the channels in said disk, means for driving said disk, an ascending tube the lower end of which is beneath the level in said liquidreservoir, and a channel for conducting the liquid from said chamber to said ascending tube.

2. In a speed indicator, the combination with a liquid-resewoir, of a chamber beneath said liquid-reservoir, a shaft passing through said chamber, a round disk mounted on said shaft to revolve freely within said chamber and provided with a plurality of channels reaching to the periphery, a channel for conducting the liquid from said liquid-reservoir to said closed channels in said round disk, means for driving said shaft, au ascending` tube the lower end of which is beneath the level in said liquidreservoir, a second channel for conducting the liquid from said chamber to said ascending tube, and a device for regulating the area of said second channel.

3. In a speed -indicator, the combination with a casing having a chamber and formed on the top as a liquid-reservoir, of an ascending tube secured in said casiugand projecting above said liquid-reservoir, a cover for closing said chamber, a shaft mounted in said casing to revolve and passing through said chamber into said cover and provided on this part with a longitudinal bere and within said chambei2 with a cross-perforation, means for driving said shaft, a round disk fastened on said shaft to revolve freely within said chamber and provided with a plurality of radial channels communicating with said longitudinal bore and said cross-perforation of said shaft and reaching to the periphery, a channel through said cover and communicating with said liquid -reservoir and said longitudinal bore of said shaft, a second channel communicating with said chamber and said ascending tube, a device for regulating the area of said second channel, and means for tightening said shaft in said chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ EMIL W'OLF.

VVitn esses:

IVOLDEMAR HAUPT, H uNnY HAsrnR.

IOO 

